Event Title
Mapping eelgrass (Zostera sp.) habitat in Padilla Bay, WA, using an unmanned aerial system (UAS)
Presentation Abstract
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) monitoring and restoration is important to commercial and ecological management in the Salish Sea. In the southern Salish Sea (Puget Sound, WA), eelgrass distribution overall has not changed in acreage but local eelgrass habitats have declined whereas others have increased. Additionally, coexistence with non-native dwarf eelgrass (Z. japonica) motivates tracking the spatial patterns of change in distribution of both Zostera species on a seasonal and interannual basis. Past efforts to map eelgrass communities have involved the use of satellite imagery and imagery acquired from manned aircraft. Imagery acquired using these platforms typically has a spatial resolution ranging from ~30m to ~1 m. UAS technology offers a new approach to obtain imagery with a spatial resolution of a few centimeters, at very low cost and the image acquisition can be carefully timed to take advantage of low tides. The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (PBNERR) includes one of the largest expanses of eelgrass on the west coast, which has been monitored long-term along permanent transects for Z. marina and Z. japonica coverage, shoot density, and biomass. This provides an ideal setting for the evaluation of alternative methods for mapping eelgrass communities using UAS technology. During the summer of 2017, we collected imagery from a 200 m by 2500 m transect overlapping the permanent plots that make up the PBNERR long-term monitoring transect. We collected imagery using both a multirotor and fixed-wing UAS and two different camera systems with different spectral and spatial resolutions. Here we discuss the logistical challenges of conducting these surveys and present preliminary results of our image classification efforts.
Session Title
Structure from Motion and Drone Aerial Imagery for Coastal Restoration and Management
Keywords
Mapping eelgrass, Padilla Bay, Unmanned aerial system, UAS
Conference Track
SSE15: Data and Information Management
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE15-300
Start Date
4-4-2018 4:15 PM
End Date
4-4-2018 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Eelgrass--Monitoring--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Geographic Coverage
Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Mapping eelgrass (Zostera sp.) habitat in Padilla Bay, WA, using an unmanned aerial system (UAS)
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) monitoring and restoration is important to commercial and ecological management in the Salish Sea. In the southern Salish Sea (Puget Sound, WA), eelgrass distribution overall has not changed in acreage but local eelgrass habitats have declined whereas others have increased. Additionally, coexistence with non-native dwarf eelgrass (Z. japonica) motivates tracking the spatial patterns of change in distribution of both Zostera species on a seasonal and interannual basis. Past efforts to map eelgrass communities have involved the use of satellite imagery and imagery acquired from manned aircraft. Imagery acquired using these platforms typically has a spatial resolution ranging from ~30m to ~1 m. UAS technology offers a new approach to obtain imagery with a spatial resolution of a few centimeters, at very low cost and the image acquisition can be carefully timed to take advantage of low tides. The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (PBNERR) includes one of the largest expanses of eelgrass on the west coast, which has been monitored long-term along permanent transects for Z. marina and Z. japonica coverage, shoot density, and biomass. This provides an ideal setting for the evaluation of alternative methods for mapping eelgrass communities using UAS technology. During the summer of 2017, we collected imagery from a 200 m by 2500 m transect overlapping the permanent plots that make up the PBNERR long-term monitoring transect. We collected imagery using both a multirotor and fixed-wing UAS and two different camera systems with different spectral and spatial resolutions. Here we discuss the logistical challenges of conducting these surveys and present preliminary results of our image classification efforts.
